C O N F I D E N T I A L VILNIUS 000853
SIPDISSIPDIS
STATE PASS TO USDA FAS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2017
TAGS: EAGRETRDTBIOLH
SUBJECT: LITHUANIA UNLIKELY TO SUPPORT ANY UNAPPROVED
BIOTECH PRODUCTS IN IMPORTS
REF: SECSTATE 158225
Classified By: DCM Damian Leader for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
(C) On November 20, we discussed reftel with the Ministry of
Agriculture's Dr. Julija Margelyte (Food Safety and Quality
Division) and Zigmas Medingis (EU Affairs and International
Relations Department). They said that senior Ministry
officials would decide the GOL position regarding low level
presence (LLP) in imports of animal feed on November 21st,
but explained that the GOL's current position is against the
presence of biotech in animal feed. Margelyte noted that
additives like antibiotics are passed from animal feed into
humans when meat products are consumed. Thus, biotech
products would likely have the same effect. In a follow up
telecon on November 26, Virginija Vingriene, one of the Chief
Specialists of the Food Safety and Quality Division, who
attended the November 21st meeting, said that the Ministry
had not reached a decision on a specific level, but that the
Minister would be guided by the precautionary principle. We
interpret this to mean that Lithuania, remaining wary of
biotech, will likely not tolerate any level of unapproved
biotech products in imports.
CLOUD